THE LOVE STORY STARTS like this: a boy walks into Zara. He wasn't looking to buy anything. Honest. He just wanted to look at all the pretty things.

But then he (read: me) sees this dreamy moto jacket. Sure, moto jackets are all the rage. He's seeing them everywhere this season. He's even written about them a few times. But this one is special. It's the most gorgeous shade of red. It has stunning hardware. And a buckle. A BUCKLE! He walks the perimeter of the store three times...nervous...giddy...before he finally gives in to the siren's call and puts it on. It's love at first try-on. Cut to two minutes later and the boy is walking out of Zara with his coat. Cut to two weeks later and they're both living happily ever after.

OK, SO MAYBE I'm a *tad* obsessed with this jacket. But I don't feel bad about it. In fact, I was so excited to take it with me to New York City where none other than The King of Fifth Avenue was kind enough to photograph the two of us together.

Halfway through the fall season, we've already looked at dressing Moto's up or down. But this moto gives us another chance to see just how dressy a moto jacket can be. So let's set dive in and break down this look a bit more.

MOTO JACKETS ARE casual chameleons. They may read casual on first glance, but they're actually extraordinarily versatile. When you want to dress a moto jacket up, it's best to reach for its opposite in both color and texture. In this case, a white, knit turtleneck (also from Zara) provided the perfect contrasting compliment.

Turtlenecks are all the rage this fall/winter. They provide a height at the neckline that you can only otherwise achieve with a scarf. And they're warm as hell. But unless you're rail-thin (not my strong suit), you'll want to layer them with a contrasting garment or two like I've done with the moto jacket.

The jacket not only frames the turtleneck; it steals the attention away from what might otherwise be a less-than-flattering silhouette. That's the magic of layering. And the secret to you all thinking I'm thin. 😝

Paired with a set of gray/charcoal cotton pants that could easily be mistaken for wool, a set of black dress shoes, and a dapper, black top hat from Topman, the look takes on a sort of LA-music-producer vibe that feels formal but not stuffy. That's precisely the type of magic sauce that will have your coworkers turning their heads to ask what type of swagger potion you've been drinking. And it's the gateway drug into what I hope will be your newfound obsession with moto jackets. Consider this your first hit, and it's entirely on me.

Welcome to North & Kedzie. My name is Brian Gee, and I'm inviting you to join me on my journey towards making style & culture approachable and accessible at home in Chicago and wherever else my travels may take me.